Two men appeared in the Okahandja Magistrate's Court this morning after they were arrested in connection with a large illegal dagga operation uncovered on a farm between the Osire Refugee Settlement and Hochfeld in the Otjozondjupa Region.

The accused, Armand Schultz and South African national David Van Der Linden, face two charges each: dealing in cannabis and possession of cannabis.

Their arrest followed a police stop-and-search at the Okahandja-Hochfeld roadblock on Thursday.

Police found 52 large sachets of dagga in a vehicle, which led them to a nearby farm. There, officers discovered an illegal 1.55-hectare dagga plantation and a small factory used to harvest, weigh, and package the drugs.

Otjozondjupa Regional Police Commander, Commissioner Philip Hidengwa, earlier in the week confirmed the discovery and said authorities are considering whether to destroy the plantation using chemicals or a grader.

The total value of the dagga is estimated to be over 52 million dollars.

The case has been postponed to June 23 for a formal bail application.